by oceania
click here for the audio podcast
I am going to give you a tidbit….
I received a submission recently from a woman looking for help.
She wanted to narrate erotic stories.
Her voice was unusual,
but pleasing.
So i sent her a sample to read
and that is exactly what she did.
She read every single word
My first reaction was
It’s audio!
It’s for the ears!
Don’t you realize …
and that is when i stopped in mid-thought
No, she didn’t realize!
And the majority of narrators don’t realize
This isnt grade school. We don’t read every word – We project emotion
see, As a voice talent you have some artistic license in the erotic/romance realm.
For example if you had to read the following line
“I hate you!” Clare cried.
Should you read the line word for word?
HELL NO!
Remember you are not a text reader when you record an audio story. If Clare cried you bring the water works on. If she yelled and screamed then you yell, scream and throw a temper-tantrum when you deliver the lines!
It’s fairly simple!
People want to feel the words and they wont feel them if you just read it! You have to be the words, be the story and the characters and feel the emotions!
I mean really feel it and then telegraphic them to the audience in a clear voice.
Now that is harder than it sounds and does take practice!
So if Clare cried I HATE YOU! it doesn’t make one damn bit of good if the words are muffled between sobs, or if the crying is louder than the words and requires the listener to replay the scene just to know what you said.
Keep in mind that real life may be stranger than fiction, but fiction has to be believable! Well audio has to be even more so!
Here is an example from the movies:
The room is dimly lit and sparely furnished. The drapes are open and there is a sheen on the wood floors. A woman walks across the room. She is wearing high heels. You expect to hear the click clack of those heels as she crosses the room but the sound guy, as hard as he might, cant give you the sound you want to hear. It is up to the foley expert to reproduce that sound.
You’re the foley guy!
This is performance art and should be written and then performed as such!
You have to make it believable!
There are no crutches to lean on – no pictures, no video – just your voice and the imagination of the listener.
With that kind of power you flood an stadium with orgasms.
So ready for the test?
I would like you to record the line:
“Shut up and Fuck me!”, she(or he) said whispering low.
add a link to it in the comment area below!
I look forward to your read!
Oceania
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I admit I’m confused by this. Isn’t it standard practice to read every word, when a performer is creating an audio-format version of a novel or short story? My understanding has always been that if the producer wants a *dramatization* (i.e., an adaptation in script form, as opposed to an audio performance of the original prose-fiction work), then the producer first has the work rewritten in dramatic form, with unspoken stage directions replacing phrases like “she cried”–and that this script is what the talent is handed, in lieu of the original work. (Am I wrong about this?)
I admit I\’m confused by this. Isn\’t it standard practice to read every word, when a performer is creating an audio-format version of a novel or short story? My understanding has always been that if the producer wants a *dramatization* (i.e., an adaptation in script form, as opposed to an audio performance of the original prose-fiction work), then the producer first has the work rewritten in dramatic form, with unspoken stage directions replacing phrases like \"she cried\"–and that this script is what the talent is handed, in lieu of the original work. (Am I wrong about this?)
Hi Jeremy
i don’t think the producer should have to re-write the story
the author already has given directions
it is not actually a dramatization
unless they intend to go all the way with music and sound effects
it is still just story telling
a very different animal then say reading is
a question…
ever go to a story telling convention
they usually are for mystery or children’s books
but still you’ll see the methods used by the better story tellers of infection and emotion
they don’t read the stage directions given by the author
because they are already performing it
example for erotica:
take a spanking story
if the author wrote
He slapped her once, twice, three times in rapid succession searing her ass red
shouldn’t the narrator use inflection in the story telling to relay this
possibly reading it in a staccato manner
For sex,romance,erotic stories it shouldn’t be a dry read. It wasn’t written to be a dry F**K. So it shouldn’t be read as one. It was /is suppose to leave the listener feeling aroused, excited and looking for release!
Of course that is not everyone’s opinion but it is the method that I have used for the last 20 years of audio narration
Well, maybe I misunderstood what you were saying in the original post. I absolutely agree that the words are, and should be, given emotion and inflection by a capable performer. What confused me was the idea of the performer actually omitting some of the text surrounding dialogue, without an editor or producer having explicitly made those modifications beforehand. But, like I said, perhaps I misunderstood.
i can see where there could be confusion
i happen to be very outside the norm as can be heard on any audio book taken from a public library
but that said id o make a living off of audio erotic story telling and i often remove the he shouted, she yelled directions in the dialogue and chose to just put that inflection into the work
Ah, yes, now I see–your own innovative approach, and evidently a successful one. Thanks for clarifying. : )
Okay, glad you clarified this. Not everyone gives the narrator the freedom to do that. Some have you do retakes if you leave out a word or change anything ( either accidentally or intentionally) from the original manuscript. It has to be word for word, period.
Good to know!
Will be back with my audio clip later
oh exciting cant wait to hear it!
I think I’ll chime in with an excerpt for you m’dear
Terrific cant wait!
my Darling:
http://www.saschaillyvich.com/Shut%20up%20and%20FUCK%20me.WMA
Try that out…
Oceania,
Your blog post makes a fine point. I cannot tell you how often I cringe at (even) my favorite narrative podcasts when they have non-actors reading the story. I’m almost finished recording my first audio book, and I did a lot of research into audio books before I started recording…. reading from a book in front of a live audience is definitely a different skill set than recording audio from a book. I allowed my actors to bring their own talent to the book, and there were times when we changed words or discarded them, and I feel that my audio book will be better because of this.
Will i heard your daVinciPodcast- would you be interested in rebroadcasting your show on radiodentata?
Thank you so much. Tempting offer, but I don’t think da Vinci’s quite right for your website. My next website, launching next year, focuses on erotica, and might be more appropriate. Write Sex is amazing. I’m so impressed with the writing and tips. Queers on the Verge will be tweeting about you all week. Let me know if you would like to be interviewed. It could be a show on how to write romance or erotica– maybe both.
Will,
I’m so glad you found this resource helpful as you do. Over the next few months we’ll be expanding while still keeping our focus so send us all the traffic you would like
If I can help you, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
hi Will
whenever you launch the new site i’d be interested in talkign with you… but FYI – radiodentata has several shows for authors as well as informational shows. It is not all erotic or even sexual. It’s for adults because we dont censor the content – allowing hosts to interview who they want when they want without worring about the language used.